This Is All Preparation for The Future

                So something strange happened to me the other day. Well, I say strange but it sure didn’t seem that way at the time. Until I was talking with good friend of mine and he asked me if I thought it was a coincidence that we were talking at that very moment over that specific subject. My answer of course was no. I personally don’t believe in things like luck or coincidence no matter how important the matter (ex: running into a friend or finding $10 in your jacket pocket). I believe there is only God and the mysterious (or not so mysterious) ways and people through whom/which He works to make everything according to His perfect will. 

                The “strange” thing that happened that I mentioned really wasn’t that strange. Through a series of circumstances my finances happened to be a little lower this month than the norm. So, when my friends decided to head to the movies I decided to not. I could have easily headed back home from where we were but I decided in going to a friend’s (an elder in the church) house nearby and visit. This man is quite wise. And, it happened that we eventually sat in his living room talking and ended up on the subject of our work here in León. And, as I mentioned earlier, he asked me the question over coincidence. This made me think back as to what happened throughout my day, week, month, and last years that have lead up to the very conversation we were having in his living room. 

                Now you might be thinking that this was a little deep. But, think back in your life and where you are now and what you are doing and think about all of the events that lead up to it. A lot of things had to come through for you to be where you are and I guarantee you that it can’t be a dead, lifeless, thing like luck, but a very alive and loving God. This is your story, and it is very unique to you and you alone. You cannot have the same story as another. Trust me too that you don’t want to. God is constantly preparing you for what you are about to encounter in the next 5 minutes or the next 5 years. So this AIM program, the death of a loved one, or the spare cash you found in your jacket pocket is all preparation for your unique story and future. And, in the end, He is preparing you to be more like Christ, because He loves you that much. Just as an old friend once told me, “Your whole life has lead up to this one moment.” So stay in the path of God and don’t rely on your own plans like is says in James 4:13, because we are “a mist that appears for a little while then vanishes.” (James 4:14 NIV) But we are to trust in the Lord's will.

“I am telling you your story…. I tell no one any story but his own.” –Aslan, The Horse and His Boy, The Chronicles of Narnia.

- Nick Flesher (Aim, Mexico 09)











(read more of Nick's blog articles here)

Trust God Even When It Hurts

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths."

You may think that your hurting is pointless, that giants you face are unconquerable, but no one ever stood on the mountain of God without first climbing it. God loves you and he wants the absolute best for you, he knows us, he understands us, and he wants us to trust him even when it hurts! Because as he says in Isaiah 55:8 "My ways are not your ways and my thoughts are not your thoughts." God tells us 'not to lean on our understanding', because we can't see the big picture! So when we don't trust God, we always are settling for less, even when we think that this is the best that life has to offer. Which is why he also says to 'acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight'. Acknowledge, that he is the Almighty God who loves you, trust he will do what he promises and he will guide you, he will straighten your paths! I know this because I have experienced this, I had and still have to trust God even when it hurts, even when I think I have a better way.

I grew-up a military brat, moving from state-state all my life. I grew-up without many friends, overtime I would make a few just to leave them. Most nights I'd be crying and praying to God for us not to move again so I could stay and make friends (which was difficult for me).

Do you know what God's answer was? We moved…twice…I felt I had been stabbed in the heart, it was horrible. However God had something better than I could have ever imagined. God's answer to me that night, wasn't a "no" but rather, "wait". God knows what he's doing and he knows the best way of going about it also. Right now, I'd say God is answering that prayer. Not he has answered it, but he is answering it. My dad retired and God lifted me from my despair. I met friends, good friends. But just when I thought, it couldn't get better than this, God sent me to AIM and I had met people I now can call brothers and sisters. God led me through my pain through my hurt and he's not through with me yet! He has a beautiful plan for me and its far greater than anything that I can imagine, he just wants me to trust him. Which is exactly what he wants you to do also. Trust God even when it hurts.

James Hagler (AIM, Scotland 09)